UTILITIES: NextEra Energy says it will spend $1 billion on battery storage projects in 2021, including a major storage center in Florida, and add solar through its utility, Florida Power & Light. (Greentech Media)
ALSO: Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest utility, announces it will merge with Gulf Power, and that it has completed six new solar projects. (Palm Beach Post)
***YOUR AD HERE: Webinar? Job posting? Virtual event? Every day, Energy News Network email digests reach thousands of highly engaged professionals. Click here for more information on how to get your promotion to our audience.***
POWER: Nearly all of the 23,000 MW of new natural gas, wind and solar projects last year were added in the South, according to the Energy Department. (Houston Chronicle)
WIND:
• Dominion Energy says its offshore wind pilot project in Virginia will be completed this year. (Power Engineering)
• A data center operator says it will use wind energy from several Texas projects to power 13 of its data centers around Dallas. (Renewables Now)
SOLAR:
• Oak Ridge, Tennessee, officials approve a resolution allowing cheaper meters for smaller solar projects in order to reflect a new TVA rule and eliminate confusion. (Oak Ridger)
• Verizon signs virtual power purchase agreements for 254 MW of capacity from two solar energy farms in Texas. (news release)
NUCLEAR: Plant Vogtle officials say more than 100 employees at the nuclear plant have tested positive for COVID-19. (WRDW)
OIL & GAS:
• Louisiana’s governor delays collection of oil and gas severance taxes to offer relief for the industry after the collapse of prices. (Daily Advertiser)
• Oil and gas industry groups and company officials say President Trump’s plan to fill the U.S. emergency crude oil reserves won’t be enough to help. (Reuters)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: Offshore oil drillers shut off wells in the Gulf of Mexico following a collapse in crude prices, and some executives worry it may take years for the industry to recover. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)